The inventor of the present invention proposed a rotary engine, which has an improved structure to solve the disadvantages experienced with conventional engines, such as wankel engines, etc., and was disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 10-2005-20840 (Application Date: Mar., 14, 2005). The rotary engine of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2005-20840 comprises an engine body. The engine body includes a compression cylinder, which is configured to have a slightly distorted cylinder shape (an elliptical cylinder shape) and has at a predetermined position thereof an intake hole, through which fuel/air mixture or air is drawn into the compression cylinder. The engine body further includes an output cylinder, which has a slightly distorted cylinder shape (an elliptical cylinder shape) and is formed through the engine body in a direction parallel to the compression cylinder. A discharge hole, through which combustion gas is discharged, is formed at a predetermined position in the output cylinder. The engine body further includes a combustion chamber, which is formed between the compression cylinder and the output cylinder in a direction parallel both to the compression cylinder and to the output cylinder. The combustion chamber is divided into two cylindrical bores, which are symmetrical to each other, and each of which communicates with the compression cylinder through an intake gate and communicates with the output cylinder through a discharge gate. The rotary engine further comprises a compression rotor, which is eccentrically provided in the compression cylinder of the engine body and rotates such that fuel/air mixture or air is drawn into the compression cylinder through the intake hole, compressed, and supplied into the combustion chamber through the intake gates. The rotary engine further comprises an ignition device, which is provided in the combustion chamber of the engine body to ignite and explode the fuel/air mixture or air compressed and supplied by the compression rotor, and an output rotor which is eccentrically disposed in the output cylinder of the engine body and rotated using propulsive force generated by the combustion gas supplied from the compression cylinder through the discharge gates. The rotary engine further comprises a plurality of valves, which are provided in respective bores of the combustion chamber and control the intake gates and the discharge gates such that a compression process, a combustion process and an output process are sequentially conducted depending on rotational positions of the compression rotor and the output rotor. The rotary engine further comprises a synchronizing means, which rotates the compression rotor in conjunction with rotation of the output rotor, and an axial sealing means, which seals the compression cylinder, the combustion chamber and the output cylinder of the engine body. The present invention relates to a rotor for rotary engines or compressors which may be used as a compression rotor or an output rotor, which is a component of the rotary engine of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2005-20840.
Here, smooth diametrical sliding motion of the sliding vane is a critical requirement to ensure the practicability of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2005-20840.
If smooth diametrical reciprocation of the sliding vane, which crosses the central axis of the rotor that eccentrically rotates, is not realized, the compression process in the compression cylinder cannot be reliably conducted, and the explosive force of combustion gas in the output cylinder cannot be completely converted into rotating force. That is, smooth reciprocation of the sliding vane greatly affects the revolution speed, output power and efficiency of the rotary engine.
Airtightness is another essential requirement to ensure the practicability of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2005-20840. Particularly, it is very important to ensure air-tightness between the cylinders and the main bodies of the compression rotor and the output rotor, and airtightness between the main bodies of the compression rotor and the output rotor and the covers (in the case that a sealing plate is provided inside each cover, airtightness with sealing plates, and, hereinafter, both the cover and the sealing plate, are abbreviated as “cover”).
It is also important to ensure airtightness between the inner surface of the compression cylinder and the sliding vane of the compression rotor, airtightness between the inner surface of the output cylinder and the sliding vane of the output rotor, and airtightness between the opposite side edges of the sliding vane and the covers, but means for achieving these will be declared in another patent to be filed by the inventor of the present invention.
Referring to the technique of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2005-20840 or referring to FIG. 14 of the present invention, the compression rotor and the output rotor of the rotary engine are eccentrically installed in respective cylinders, and the main body of each rotor rotates and contacts the inner surface of each cylinder. Here, airtightness between the main body of the rotor and the inner surface of the cylinder must be ensured in order to securely compress fuel/air mixture or air at high pressure in the compression chamber and to efficiently rotate the output rotor using high-pressure combustion gas in the output chamber.
Furthermore, it is very important to ensure airtightness between the covers and the main bodies of the compression rotor and the output rotor. If airtightness between the covers and the main bodies of the compression rotor and the output rotor is not ensured, in the compression cylinder, some high-pressure mixture or air may not be supplied from the compression cylinder into the combustion chamber but may leak into the main body of the compression rotor, and, in the output cylinder, some high-pressure combustion gas may not be used for rotating the output rotor due to leakage thereof into the main body of the output rotor. In this case, it is obvious that the efficiency of the rotary engine will be markedly reduced.
Furthermore, each of the main bodies of the compression rotor and the output rotor is divided into two body units, and the sliding vane is provided between the two body units. Here, because high-pressure gas may leak to a low-pressure side through a gap between the sliding vane and the body units if airtightness between the body units and the sliding vane is not ensured, it is also important to ensure airtightness between the body units and the sliding vane.